What is the primary principle of utilitarianism as defined by Jeremy Bentham?

The primary principle of utilitarianism, as articulated by Jeremy Bentham, is to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. This ethical framework posits that the best actions are those that produce the greatest happiness or pleasure for the greatest number of people. Bentham introduced the concept of the "hedonic calculus," a method for measuring pleasures and pains associated with different actions to determine which would yield the most benefit overall.

Utilitarianism is fundamentally concerned with the consequences of actions. It evaluates the moral worth of an action based on its outcome: if it generates more pleasure than pain, it is deemed a good action. This perspective is essential for understanding how utilitarianism influences moral and ethical decision-making processes, including those related to law and societal norms.